Frank a



(No Model.)

Patented July 7, 1891.

xm n PP W AC .R FA 0 'v UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

FRANK A. FOX, on SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AssIeNoR TO CHARLES afnisnor, or BROOK-LYN, NEW .YORK;

CAR-CCU LrNe.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 455,590, dated July 7, 189].-

. Application filed May 26,1891- Serial No. 3944124. No model.)

To all whom it may concern} Be it known that I, FRANK A. FOX, a citizen of theUnited States',residing at San Francisco, I in the county of San Francisco and-State of;

California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear,

similar piece formed or and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same.

My invention has relation to that class of car-couplings wherein two interlocking heads provided with a rearwardly swinging 'tailpiece are adapted to'connect and lock with a provided upon the opposite coupling.

My invention relates more particularly to the locking mechanism of the coupler, which consists in providing the end of the piece with .an inwardly-moving locking-pin adapted upon the rear thrust of said tail-piece to move inward until the inclined wall of the couplinghead is passed, when by gravity or otherwise it moves outward, so as to abut against the said coupling-head wall,-and thus maintain the head in coupled position until said pin is thrown inward, so as to clear the wall, when the knuckle-joint is allowed to move outward.

The invention furtherconsists in providing a locking mechanism which shallbe simpler in its construction, less expensive, more effectual in its operation, and easier in its working than any device heretofore known to me.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, wherein similar letters of reference denotecorresponding parts th roughout the entire specification, Figure 1 is a top plan of the coupling-head partly broken away in order to fully show the lock mechanism; Fig. 2, a side view in elevation, partly broken away; Fig. 3, a detail of swinging or interlocking knuckle-joint, showing end of tailpiece, partly in section; Fig.4, a detail of liftinglever; Fig. 5, an end view thereof; Fig. 6, a detail of sliding orlocking pin; Figs. 7and 10, detail views of the swinging knuckle-joint, showing modified form of locking-pin; Figs. 8 and 11, front views of Figs. 7 and 1 0, and

openingb.

'the latter rides up or down.

Figs. fland l2 detailviews of the locking-pins shown inFigs. 7 and 10.

The letter A'indicates the coupli-ngid'raw- 1 bar, and Bthe recessed con pling-head secured V thereto? Said head is cut away,'so as to form the opening I), and the wall I) is'gradually inclined toward opening I), which is adaptedto move the locking-pin inward, as hereinafter set forth. The rearwardly-extendingrecess Z2 is intersected by the vertical. opening 0, formed through the coupler-head, and within said opening is pivoted the swinging lever C, the lower end of which is provided with the inclined shoulder c, which works withinthe To the forward end of the head 13 is bolted the swinging knuckle-joint C, which is provided with the rearwardly-extending tail-piece The outer end of said tailworks the locking-pin D. Said pin is pro vided with the incline groove or channel d and isSecuredwithin the grooved end of the tail-piece by means of the pin (1 which pro jects through the wall e of said tail-piece into the channel (1' of the lock-pin, upon which By gravity the pin works downward upon the inclined face 6 of the tail-piece and projects beyond the end thereof, as shown in Fig; 3. face of said lock pin or bolt is rounded or beveled, as shown at'f. As the tail-piece moves inward the inclined face f of lock-pin D contacts with inclined wall I) of the coup- The outer piece is grooved or cut away upon an incline,

ler-head, and by the continual movement of the tail-piece the lock-pinis forced inward within the grooved end of the tail-piece until the inclined wall I) has been cleared, when by gravity it moves downward until theend thereof projects within the opening I). The

outer face of the sliding lock-pin then con tacts with the wall f, and thus prevents the outward movement of the knuckle-joint and tail-piece until the sliding lock-pin is released from contact with wallf, When the-lockpin moves within the opening I), the two heads are interlocked. Inorder to release the heads from their interlocked position for uncoup ling, the pivoted lever O is lifted upward,

which throws the downwardly-extending arm 0 forward within the opening I) and causes shoulder c to contact with outer end of lockpin and by its movement force the sliding lock-pin within the -grooved end of the tailpiece until Wall f" is cleared. The knucklejoint may thus be freely swung outward, inasmuch as no obstruction is offered to the tail-piece.

While I have shown the lock-pin moving within the grooved inclined end of the tailpiece and riding upward upon the pin or bolt (1 I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to this form of construction, inasmuch as I am aware that other forms of lockpins may be employed.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the pin provided with the rearwardly-extending stem h, which fits within an opening h, formed in the tailpiece, and by means of the spiral spring 71 pressure is maintained thereon for the purpose of forcing the lock-pin outward.

Fig. 10 shows the walls a e of the tail-piece provided with inclined channels g g, within which fit and work the inclined shoulders g 9 formed on the pin, as shown in Fig. 12. In this case the pin falls or moves by gravity. By preference l prefer the form of lock-pin set forth in Figs. 1 and 2, although either of the other forms may be employed with equally good results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with a car-coupling, of the swinging tail-piece, said piece having its outer end grooved, locking-pin working within said open end, and the swinging lever for operating said pin for uncoupling of the heads, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the coupling-head provided with an inclined recessed Wall, of the swinging tail-piece, looking-pin working within end of said tail-piece and'adapted upon the rear thrust thereof to move inward and outward, and the lever for ilnlockin g said pin, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a recessed coupling-head, of the swinging tail-piece, inclined guide-groove formed in the outer end thereof, and the locking-pin working within the grooved end upon the rear thrust of said tailpiece, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car-couplingthe combinatiomwith the recessed coupling-head, of the rearwardlyswinging tail-piece provided with an end opening, locking-pin working within said open end, and the lever for unlocking said pin, as and for the purpose set forth.

'5. In a car-coupling having an inclined recessed face, swinging tailpiece working therein, opening formed in end thereof, lockingpin working therein, said pin adapted to move in or out with rear thrust of the tail-piece, lock-pin opening formed in the coupler-head, within which said pin moves when the heads are locked, and the lever for unlocking said heads, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. FOX.

7 Witnesses:

'N. A. AoKER,

LEE D. CRAIG. 

